


On the sidelines

by softseoksoons



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Kissing, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Sports Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:33:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27826087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softseoksoons/pseuds/softseoksoons
Summary: And then, Mark noticed the right wing of the other team, flying towards Donghyuck from behind, with no intention of just stealing the puck.Suddenly, everything around him became a blur as Mark zeroed in on the scene happening on the ice only 30 feet away from him. His legs refused to move as his voice scratched against his parched throat in an attempt to scream out a warning.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 18
Kudos: 274





	On the sidelines

**Author's Note:**

> hello did anyone say markhyuck hockey au?
> 
> I absolutely loved the 90s love MV and I'm a sucker for sports, so that's kind of how this was birthed. plus, I saw a really good [markhyuck fanart](https://twitter.com/kkoljohda/status/1333046290029060098?s=20) , so that also kind of inspired this.
> 
> Sports injuries are always really hard on athletes, especially when it means they are out for the entire season. There's a lot of frustration and anger, and the desire to get back to playing sometimes clouds the athlete's judgement. Always put your health first, because you do not want to hurt yourself already more than you have!
> 
> with that, I hope you enjoy this little thing I put together really quickly ^^ 
> 
> ALSO NOT BETAED DONT COME FOR MY MISTAKES IM SORRY

Mark could feel his heart pumping loudly in his ears, the sound overpowering the deafening cheers of the crowd surrounding the rink.

He couldn’t even hear his own thoughts, the game too fast paced for anyone to even get a breath in before the puck was sliding to the other side of the ice, the legs of the skaters burning to catch up and score a goal. The only thing to focus on was their sticks and the puck, but Mark’s attention couldn’t help but be grabbed by their left winger speeding down the ice.

Donghyuck was skating as fast as his legs could take him, hunched over to gain speed and steal the puck only a hair’s breadth away from him. 

There was only 30 seconds left on the clock, everyone in the rink incapable of staying seated as their veins pumped with electricity watching the game. They were tied 3-3 in one the most important games of their season. If they won this, they moved on in the conference for a chance to verse the best team in their region for the title trophy.

Everything relied on these last 30 seconds, and Mark could feel the fire radiating off Donghyuck as he pushed his skates against the ice, racing against time itself to score that goal.

And then, Mark noticed the right wing of the other team, flying towards Donghyuck from behind, with no intention of just stealing the puck. 

Suddenly, everything around him became a blur as Mark zeroed in on the scene happening on the ice only 30 feet away from him. His legs refused to move as his voice scratched against his parched throat in an attempt to scream out a warning.

In a second, the right wing was slamming his body against the back of Donghyuck’s left shoulder,  _ hard.  _ He sent Donghyuck spinning and crashing, shoulder first, into the glass surrounding the rink. Donghyuck’s stick went flying out of his hands and across the ice before Donghyuck himself fell to the ice and his body slumped in pain and agony.

3… 2… 1.

The buzzer rang, signaling the end of the game with a tie. They would have to do a 5 minute sudden death overtime, but all thoughts fell out of Mark’s head.

_ Donghyuck. _

“Donghyuck!” Mark bellowed, throwing his helmet off and racing over to where Donghyuck’s body was still slumped against the wall, withering. Yangyang was hovering over Donghyuck, trying to get the other to say something, but Donghyuck’s head was hung as he clutched his shoulder and dry sobbed.

Mark pushed Yangyang out the way, the younger not even protesting, skating back to put distance between him and the duo.

“Donghyuck,” Mark whispered, “Donghyuck,” He said louder when he didn’t receive a response.

The younger only gave him a whimper in response, barely audible over the yelling of the crowd and the whistling of the referees.

Mark looked frantically at the boy before him, at the shoulder he was clutching desperately and the shivering of his whole body as he lay there in pain.

And like a string snapped deep in Mark’s heart, he saw red.

Despite the desperate calls of his teammates and the rushed yelling of the referees, Mark skated over to the right wing that checked Donghyuck, and decked him square in the jaw. 

Not even the hands of Sungchan and Jeno could stop Mark from roaring at the player, spitting square in his face. He wanted blood shed for Donghyuck. The game was over, what penalty could they give him?

He got what he wanted in the form of a broken nose and sitting in the back of the ambulance as they drove Donghyuck to the emergency room.

***

“When the hell did you break your nose?”

Mark’s eyes shot up from the book he was reading, elated at hearing Donghyuck’s voice.

“You’re awake,” Mark breathed, immediately standing up to come and sit on the edge of the hospital bed, watching as the younger blinked his eyes open groggily, taking in his surroundings.

“How bad is it?” Donghyuck whispered, not looking at Mark.

“Donghyuck, we don’t have to-”

“Yes we do.”

Mark sighed, wishing Donghyuck would at least look at him. He stared at the side profile of his boyfriend, before his eyes flickered to the wraps around his left shoulder.

“Good news is it’s only dislocated,” Mark stated, reciting what the doctor told him a few hours while Donghyuck was still sleeping.

Donghyuck scoffed. “How is that good news?”

“It’s good news because you didn’t need surgery,” He placed a gentle hand on Donghyuck’s ankle. “Please look at me, Hyuck,” he said softly, smiling when Donghyuck pouted but still turned his head to meet Mark’s gaze.

His heart hurt at the pure anguish and fear reflected in Donghyuck’s eyes, his pupils glistening with frustrated tears that are slowly building up and awaiting to break over the dam.

“We’re lucky it wasn’t any worse,” Mark explained, squeezing Donghyuck’s ankle lightly. “You’ll be back to playing at your full strength in less than 3 months.”

He knew it wasn’t what Donghyuck wanted to hear, but it was the reality. Donghyuck drew in a shaky breath, and placed his hand on his thigh, palm facing up. Mark reached over and took it with a sad smile, intertwining their fingers.

“We don’t have 3 months,” Donghyuck whispered, voice breaking as he let the tears win their battle. They slid down his face, leaving salty trails in their wake and pooling at the curve of his jawline.

“I know, baby, I know,” Mark replied, not saying anything as him and Donghyuck sat there, hands joined tightly and the sound of Donghyuck’s quiet sobs filling the room.

***

“Hey Mark!”

Mark turned around from where he was facing his locker, giving Ten a bright smile. “What’s up hyung?”

“Want to go out with Sicheng and I tonight? The four of us, double date?” Ten, their centre, asked with a big grin.

Sicheng groaned from his spot on the bench on the other side of Ten. “I don’t know why he insists on double dates,” Sicheng called to Mark, leaning back so he could be visible behind Ten’s small frame. “It’s like he hates being alone with me.”

“Shush,” Ten scolded Sicheng from over his shoulder, sending a very unconvincing glare. Sicheng only rolled his eyes with a small smile, going back to untying his laces.

Mark couldn’t help but laugh at the couple, finding their antics adorable. He shrugged his jersey off, haphazardly throwing it into his locker before grabbing a towel to head to the showers.

“Sorry hyung, I’ll have to skip tonight. It’s Donghyuck’s first physical therapy session and I said I’d drive him,” Mark apologized, sending Ten a sheepish smile.

Ten’s smile turned fond as he reached over and patted Mark’s hair. “Don’t worry about it, we understand.”

“By the way,” Jeno piped up, entering the room with a towel wrapped loosely around his waist, water dripping down his chest. “Isn’t Donghyuck supposed to meet us all in here after practice? He never leaves without saying hey to all of us.”

“Now that you mention it,” Sicheng trailed off, pulling off his skates and looking at Mark questiongly.

Mark met their curious looks with one of his own. “I honestly don’t know. I’ll go check right now,” He said, quickly grabbing a spare t-shirt from his bag and jogging out of the locker room. Instead of turning towards the exit, he turned to the entrance of the rink, pushing open the doors slowly.

He paused when he heard the sound of skates against ice and the slap of a puck being hit by a stick.

Eyebrows furrowed, Mark took a few steps closer to the rink glass. On the other side of the ice, he could see a figure, hunched over with his stick, facing a line of pucks ready to be shot into the goal.

Mark was about to call out to the person that this was a closed rink when he caught sight of a familiar blue hoodie with a giant maple leaf printed on the back, the words “toronto” printed above it. That was his hoodie.

The arms in the hoodie raised the hockey stick they were holding a foot or two off the ground before slapping the first puck of the line, sending it straight into the open net only 10 feet away. Even from his distance, he could see the stiffness in the person’s shoulder and the slight tremor or their arms.

Anger and worry bubbled hot in Mark’s veins as he ran to the door to the ice, swinging it open and stepping onto the ice in nothing but his socks.

“Donghyuck! What the  _ hell  _ are you doing?” He yelled, practically running over to his boyfriend. He ignored the sharp cold stinging the bottoms of his feet and the glare Donghyuck sent his way as he wrenched the stick out of Donghyuck’s hands. He carelessly tossed it behind him and it clattered onto the ice, sliding away slowly, its sound echoing faintly in the empty rink. 

He didn’t get a response in return, but not that he was expecting one. Donghyuck only looked at him with a mixture of frustration and shame. It only pained Mark further.

“You got your sling off what, a week ago? You haven’t used your shoulder in a month and you decided it was a good idea to try and  _ shoot pucks _ ? Are you stupid? You could’ve seriously damaged your shoulder. God Donghyuck, don’t you fucking think?”

He knew he was being harsh, and he knew his voice was raising, but he could barely think rationally right now. Not with the genuine fear of Donghyuck putting himself in unnecessary pain, or worse, hurting his shoulder beyond repair.

He was going to say something,  _ anything _ , more to try and get Donghyuck to understand, but the younger only hung his head, shoulders shaking. It was so unlike him, who was usually quick to counter Mark’s worries and pestering with optimistic phrases or his own retorts of rage. 

Instead, the boy in front of him kept his eyes trained on the ground and silently took Mark’s berating. He looked so utterly defeated, and it broke Mark’s heart because he didn’t know how to make it  _ better _ . 

“Hyuck,” Mark mumbled, stepping forward to gently wrap his arms around Donghyuck’s shoulders. The younger brought his good arm up and squeezed it around Mark’s waist, burying his face in the crook of Mark’s neck. His sobs were quiet as he relished in Mark’s warmth, and after a few moments his sniffles finally calmed down enough to speak.

“I’m sorry,” Donghyuck whispered against his neck, sounding so sad and broken that tears pricked at the corners of Mark’s eyes.

“I should be the one apologizing for being so mean,” Mark whispered back, hands running smooth patterns down the back of Donghyuck’s hoodie. “I’m just so worried. You got off easy this time, the dislocation being as small as it was. I don’t want you to ruin any chances of being able to use your shoulder in the future. If you had continued doing that, who knows what could’ve happened? You might not have ever played again.”

Donghyuck’s hand hugged Mark’s waist tighter, breath hot against Mark’s exposed collarbone. The breath made Mark shiver slightly, goosebumps raising on his arms from the crisp cold of the rink. He only held Donghyuck closer, trying to convey his regret and worry through his touch.

“I know,” Donghyuck slurred. “I just hate being away from the rink for so long. I hate feeling helpless.”

Mark brought one hand up to card his fingers lightly through Donghyuck’s hair, not saying a word. He understood what Donghyuck was feeling, at least to an extent. He never suffered a serious injury before, but they were all afraid of being out of play for long. They never wanted to be off the rink, if they could help it.

Mark could only imagine the frustration Donghyuck felt every time he sat in on one of their practices, legs itching to be moving out on the ice again. He could only imagine the regret engraved in Donghyuck’s heart, and all of the “what ifs?” spiraling in his head as he replayed the moment from that game a million times over. 

Mark knew he would do the same if he was in Donghyuck’s position, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t seriously irresponsible of the younger. And he knew Donghyuck was aware of it, so he didn’t bring the topic up anymore.

“Why don’t we go say hey to the team before we leave, okay?” Mark asked lightly, turning his chin down to look at Donghyuck.

Donghyuck stayed rooted against Mark’s body, his face hidden in the curve of Mark’s neck, but Mark could feel his head move in a nod against his skin, and that was enough for him.

He gently coaxed Donghyuck off of him and took his hand, leading them back off the ice and towards the locker rooms once more, making sure to grab the discarded stick off the ice on their way out.

When the team first caught sight of Donghyuck in his skates and Mark holding the hockey stick, they were all quick to rush over with their own hoard of questions and worries.

“Guys,” Mark called, voice pointed. The team looked at him, but he shut down all their questions with one hard gaze. They gave up on bringing up the topic of Donghyuck in his skates and instead went about their usual business, continuing to undress as Mark led Donghyuck over to his locker.

“Sit,” Mark told him gently, guiding Donghyuck onto Mark’s spot on the bench before he kneeled down and went to work on untying Donghyuck’s laces.

“Mark,” Donghyuck started, but Mark cut him off with a sharp gaze, followed by a soft smile.

“Just let me do this,” He said quietly, and Donghyuck didn’t protest anymore.

***

The other boys soon left after that, all waving their goodbyes to Mark and Donghyuck, wishing Donghyuck good luck on his physical therapy session.

“I’m just going to take a quick shower, okay?” Mark told Donghyuck, standing up and retrieving his forgotten towel from the floor next to his locker.

Donghyuck gave him a small nod, lightly kicking the floor with his foot as he sat on the bench. “My appointment isn’t for another hour, we’re not in a rush.”

Mark nodded, and headed off to the shower rooms to wash off all the sweat from practice that day.

After a 5 minute quick shower, Mark turned off the water and wrapped the towel around his waist before stepping back into the main locker room.

Donghyuck was right where he left him, but now he was aimlessly scrolling through social media on his phone, his left arm resting comfortably in his lap.

Mark couldn’t help the smile that formed on his face as Donghyuck’s lips upturned in a chuckle after reading a funny joke. Mark missed the beautiful smile that seemed to always rest on Donghyuck’s face. Recently he was just too frustrated by the restriction of movement and Mark could see the younger was having a hard time trying to get back into his normal routine.

“Hey,” Mark called softly. In the time he was in the shower, the lights to the locker room automatically shut off, which left the room cloaked in darkness. The only light came from the open entrance to the bathrooms and showers.

Donghyuck picked up his head and sent a sheepish smile Mark’s way. “Hey,” he replied back, putting his phone back in the pocket of his hoodie.

Mark walked over and leaned over Donghyuck’s shoulder to retrieve his bag laying in his locker that was being blocked by Donghyuck’s form.

“Mind moving a little so I can access my locker?” Mark teased, looking down at Donghyuck underneath him, who only stared up at him with wide eyes.

“Uhm, yeah,” Donghyuck croaked out, stumbling to move out of Mark’s way. He quickly turned his head away from Mark, but even in the dim light, Mark could see the faint red brushing the tips of Donghyuck’s ears.

_ Cute _ , he thought as he digged into his bag to find his deodorant and water bottle.

He threw his shirt back on, despite the skin of his back still being slightly damp and sticking to the fabric of his shirt. He grabbed his grey sweatpants and slipped them on over his boxers, placing his towel around his neck. His hair was damp for the most part, but little droplets of water still fell off the strands and onto the towel.

“Does your shoulder hurt?” He asked casually, taking a small sip from his water, peering at Donghyuck over the plastic.

Donghyuck was silent for a few moments, head still turned away from Mark. “Yes, but not anymore than it usually does,” He replied, voice small.

Mark sighed. At least that was a good sign he didn’t do any damage out on the ice. “I’m sorry again,” He confessed, carelessly throwing his deodorant back in the bag after applying it to his underarms.

At that, Donghyuck quickly turned his head and looked up at Mark. He reached his arm out to grab Mark’s hand and tug on it. “Don’t,” He insisted. “You were right, I was being really stupid.”

Mark looked down at the boy next to him - his boyfriend. The boy with a smile rivaling the brightness of the sun, and eyes that held a billion stars. The boy he’d give his entire universe to.

He leaned down and pressed a kiss on Donghyuck’s lips, reveling in the contrast between Donghyuck’s soft lips versus his own slightly chapped ones.

“I love you,” he whispered after pulling back an inch. He smiled when he noticed Donghyuck take in a shaky inhale.

“I love you too,” Donghyuck breathed, before grabbing the back of Mark’s neck and pulling him down into another kiss.

The position was awkward, with Donghyuck craning his neck up to meet Mark’s lips and Mark awkwardly hunching over, but that didn’t seem to matter to Donghyuck. The younger only deepened the kiss, letting out a sharp exhale when Mark licked at his bottom lip, silently asking for entrance. When Donghyuck opened his mouth to let Mark slip his tongue, a high whine escaped from his throat.

Mark pulled back again, placing his hand over Donghyuck’s hand on the back of his neck. He cooed when Donghyuck pouted and chased after his lips.

“Relax baby, my neck just hurts,” Mark soothed, patting Donghyuck’s hand gently before drawing back to his full height. 

He took a seat on the bench next to Donghyuck, and his boyfriend took no time in getting up to settle himself comfortably in Mark’s lap, straddling Mark’s thighs.

It took him a few seconds to get fully comfortable, but once he finally stopped fidgeting, Mark looked up at him with a smile. “Hi,” he said.

Donghyuck looked down at him, eyes glittering. “Hey,” he said back, giggling cutely.

Mark brought his hand to gently take Donghyuck’s left arm and place it between them, squeezing Donghyuck’s wrist softly before pulling back.

“Hyung,” Donghyuck called. His voice was indescribably quiet, but the neediness behind it hit Mark deep in his gut, making his heart rate spike.

They hadn’t done anything past a brief kiss on the lips in over a month, and well, they were horny college students after all.

Mark didn’t say anything else, staring deep into Donghyuck’s eyes. His gaze flickered to Donghyuck’s lips, making him involuntarily lick his own in anticipation.

“God, you’re so slow,” Donghyuck grumbled, and Mark couldn’t even chuckle before Donghyuck surged forward to crash their lips together in a heated kiss.

Mark’s arms insitinvely wrapped around Donghyuck’s middle, easily licking into the other’s mouth once more.

Donghyuck sighed against Mark’s lips, pressing their lips together even harder. He sucked on Mark’s lower lip, lightly biting down on the flesh before flicking his tongue over it to soothe the pain. 

Soft groans escaped Mark’s throat as Donghyuck kissed him. He brought his hands down to the hem of Donghyuck’s hoodie and reached his fingers under the fabric, pressing the flat of his palm against Donghyuck’s back.

Donghyuck immediately preened and curved his back, leaning into Mark’s chest with a sharp intake of breath. He melted against Mark’s chest when Mark’s hands moved higher up his back, the cold tips of his fingers sending waves of electricity through Donghyuck’s skin.

Even though they were already impossibly close, Mark pushed his hand against Donghyuck’s back, pulling Donghyuck forward. He reached down to press featherlight kisses to the crook of Donghyuck’s jaw. He kissed down the younger’s neck, his lips pressing down harsher and longer as he moved down.

Donghyuck’s free hand grasped Mark’s shoulder, fingers gripping the fabric of Mark’s shirt tightly. He tipped his head back to allow more access, which Mark took graciously.

He nipped at the skin on Donghyuck’s neck, eliciting a high pitched whine from the younger. Mark’s hands moved up and down Donghyuck’s back as he kissed the younger’s neck, sucking at the flesh lightly ever so often.

Mark moved back up to Donghyuck’s face and pressed a light kiss to Donghyuck’s lips. Donghyuck deepened it once more easily, moving their tongues together with ease.

With a giggle, Mark pulled back completely and looked into Donghyuck’s hooded eyes once more.

“What do you say we get out of here and grab a quick bite before your appointment?” He asked softly, hands tenderly rubbing the small of Donghyuck’s back. It always worked wonders, because the sexual tension in Donghyuck’s shoulders slowly faded as he relaxed in Mark’s hold.

“Sounds good,” He replied, sending Mark his usual bright smile. The one that enveloped Mark’s heart in a warm blanket and sent his skin buzzing.

He smiled back, before quickly moving his hands to Donghyuck’s sides and tickling him, sending the younger into a fit of hysterics.

***

They stopped by Donghyuck’s favorite burger joint on their way to the physical therapy office. 

Their little escapade in the locker room actually took a little longer than they thought, so they didn’t have time to sit down and comfortably ate their food.

Instead, they ate on the road, Donghyuck feeding Mark fries from the passenger seat as his playlist played from the radio of the car.

“Can we put on the new Justin Bieber song?” Mark asked around a bit of his fries, sending Donghyuck a quick hopeful look.

Donghyuck huffed dramatically, but grabbed his phone to cue up Mark’s favorite song. “This is only because I love you,” he complained, but even he sang along to the lyrics when the song started playing.

They were only five minutes to Donghyuck’s appointment, thanks to Mark swiftly stealing a parking spot close to the front of the building before the car at the end of the lot could do so.

“You’re late,” Doyoung stated simply, fingers tapping the clipboard in his hands as he eyed the two of them.

“I know, Doyoungie hyung, but look, we brought you fries as a peace offering!” Donghyuck replied, showing Doyoung the container of fries.

Doyoung peered down at the paper container. “First of all, food isn’t allowed in here. Second of all, there are only like five fries in here.” He picked his head up to give Donghyuck an unimpressed stare.

Donghyuck rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “We got hungry?”

Doyoung only rolled his eyes, turning around and beckoning Donghyuck to follow him. “Good to see you Mark. Say hey to Yuta for me,” Doyoung called over his shoulder.

“Tell him yourself hyung,” Mark said with a wave, laughing when Doyoung furrowed his eyebrows and pouted.

“See you in an hour!” Donghyuck said.

Mark sent his boyfriend his own wave, watching him and Doyoung disappear behind the corner. Even from where Mark was standing, he could hear a groan escape Doyoung’s lips.

He chuckled and turned around to head back to the car.

**Author's Note:**

> It hurt writing Mark yelling at Donghyuck like that, but what Donghyuck did was really irresponsible of him and they both knew that. I hope you all make sure to take care of yourselves and be there for those around you who might be struggling!
> 
> oh also this is dedicated to noor, who basically helped me come up with the idea, and tabea, my mahae buddy :( love you both!
> 
> come find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/doyuberry)


End file.
